Cat litter boxes are used by cats for deposit of cat biological waste that includes urine and fecal matter. Contained in the litter box is cat litter that receives the cat's waste. The waste, after being deposited in the cat litter, forms clumps over time and is raked, sifted and scooped from the litter box by the cat's owner or caregiver using a litter scoop. The waste clumps are subsequently discarded.
Typically, the cat litter box is disposed at a location in a home or apartment, such that the cat litter box does not obstruct normal movement of the cat owner and others in the home or apartment. In this regard, the cat litter box is usually disposed adjacent a wall, so that the cat litter box is not in the path of the cat owner and others. In some cases, there may be only a few locations in a cramped home or apartment where the cat litter box can be placed, due to presence of furniture and other items, and still be readily accessible by the cat. The configurations of some commercially available cat litter boxes may even require rearrangement of furniture and other items in order to accommodate presence of the cat litter box, so that the cat has ready access to the cat litter box. Limiting deployment of the cat litter box in this manner and rearrangement of furniture and other items in the home, apartment or other building structure to accommodate the cat litter box inconveniences the cat owner and may even preclude the enjoyment of cat ownership. Therefore, a consideration in the art is difficulty locating the cat litter box in a space that does not easily accommodate the cat litter box.
Another consideration in the art is storage of the previously mentioned litter scoop after use in a manner that is both convenient for the cat owner or caregiver and that is sanitary. The litter scoop has perforate walls that allow unclumped cat litter to pass through the perforations while simultaneously retaining the waste clumps on the litter scoop.
Therefore, a consideration in the art is what to do with the litter scoop after using the litter scoop to rake, sift, and scoop litter clumps from the cat litter box. In this regard, the litter scoop will typically retain residual, contaminated cat litter micro-particles or debris adhering to the litter scoop after the litter scoop is used. Merely placing the litter scoop on the floor next to the cat litter box increases the risk that the contaminated litter particles will be tracked into adjacent rooms or deposited and scattered onto adjacent furniture surfaces due to human foot traffic and other human and cat activity. This is inconvenient for the cat owner or care giver because the tracked litter particles will cause the cat owner or care giver to take time to clean the cat litter tracked into adjacent rooms or deposited and scattered onto adjacent furniture surfaces. The tracked and scattered litter particles can also pose a health risk to humans. This is so because the tracked and scattered litter particles may be contaminated with bacteria (e.g., escherichia coli) and protozoa (e.g., toxoplasma gondil) that can cause or exacerbate health issues in some humans. Avoiding the need to place the litter scoop on the floor reduces the risk that contaminated litter particles will be tracked into adjacent rooms or deposited onto adjacent furniture surfaces.
Another consideration in the art is contaminated litter particles falling from the cat's paws as the cat exits the cat litter box. These particles increase the risk that the contaminated litter particles will be tracked into adjacent rooms or deposited and scattered onto adjacent furniture surfaces due to human foot traffic and other human and cat activity. The tracked and scattered litter particles falling from the cat's paws can pose a health risk to humans because the particles may be contaminated with the previously mentioned bacteria and protozoa. In addition, tracked and scattered litter particles require the cat owner or care giver to take time to clean the litter particles falling from the cat's paws and tracked and scattered outside the cat litter box.
Yet another consideration in the art is cat behavior that can cause the cat to deposit waste matter outside the litter box rather than in the cat litter box. In this regard, it has been observed that if the cat is startled or otherwise disturbed by the cat owner or care giver while the cat is defecating or urinating in the cat litter box, the cat may bolt from the cat litter box and track excrement and urine outside the cat litter box. This requires the cat owner or care giver to take time to clean the cat's waste tracked outside the cat litter box. In addition, cat waste scattered and tracked outside the cat litter box can pose a health risk to humans, as previously mentioned. Therefore, particularly in the case of covered cat litter boxes that obstruct the view of the interior of the cat litter box, it may be difficult for the cat owner or care giver to know when the cat is in the cat litter box in order to avoid startling or otherwise disturbing the cat while the cat is defecating or urinating in the cat litter box.
A further consideration in the art is offensive odor emanating from waste matter present in the cat litter that is disposed in the cat litter box. In this regard, a main component in cat urine is urea (CH4N2O) that breaks-down into ammonia (NH3) and other components, thereby producing a urine-ammonia noxious smell. Ammonia is released as a volatile gas when the cat's urine decomposes. Cat feces release hydrogen sulfide (H2S), in addition to other gases, that is noticed as the typical “rotten egg” smell. It is therefore desirable to substantially eliminate these noxious gases before they are released from the cat litter box.
Attempts have been made to address the considerations mentioned hereinabove with respect to cat litter boxes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,892 titled “Hinge Assembly For Providing A Cat Litter Box With A Readily Removable Hinged Cover” issued Apr. 29, 1997 in the name of Anthony O'Rourke, et al. relates to a hinge configuration particularly adapted for providing a cat litter box with a removable hinge cover.
According to the O'Rourke, et al. patent, a hinge mechanism is provided for use on a cat litter box, which hinge mechanism allows for pivotable movement of a cover on the box and which allows the cover to be readily detached from the box. This patent states that due to space limitations in many locations where cat litter boxes are kept, it would be desirable if such a hinge mechanism provided a support for the cover in the raised position to maintain unobstructed access to the box without having to pivot the cover rearwardly of the box to the floor. The hinge allows the cover to be pivoted rearwardly, but supports the cover in a raised open position without the cover being pivoted to the floor. According to this patent, the hinge also allows for the cover to be easily detached from the litter box for cleaning and transportation. The top surface of the cover defines a pair of openings therein spanned by a plurality of transverse louvers adapted to receive air filtration elements therein to reduce odors emanating from the litter box.
However, although the O'Rourke, et al. patent discloses a hinge mechanism that provides a support for the cover in the raised position to maintain unobstructed access to the box without having to pivot the cover rearwardly of the box to the floor, the hinge mechanism appears to be located at the rear top edge of the box, thereby increasing the risk that the hinge mechanism will contact an adjacent wall and possibly mar the adjacent wall.
Another attempt to address the considerations mentioned hereinabove with respect to cat litter boxes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,258 titled “Sanitation System For Cat Litter Boxes” issued Jul. 7, 1998, in the name of Knut H. Larsen. This patent relates to a sanitation system for cat litter boxes which provides for removal of cat fecal matter, continuous deodorization and ready waste disposal.
According to the Larsen patent, the sanitation system has a litter box scoop, and a removably mounted litter box disinfectant and deodorizing fluid reservoir containing a disinfectant deodorization fluid. A reservoir chamber defined by the deodorizing fluid reservoir receives the scoop region of the litter box scoop device for removable captive containment within the reservoir. The reservoir is mounted externally on the litter box.
However, although the Larsen patent discloses a reservoir chamber defined by a deodorizing fluid reservoir that receives the scoop region of a litter box scoop device, presence of the reservoir expands the outside envelope of the cat litter box and may interfere with the cat owner's unobstructed movement about the cat litter box, especially in confined spaces.
Yet another attempt to address the considerations mentioned hereinabove with respect to cat litter boxes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,383 titled “Cat Litter Box Threshold” issued Jul. 20, 1999 in the name of Jason T. Smith. This patent relates to a threshold provided for a cat litter box having a side entry.
According to the Smith patent, the threshold comprises a stand supporting an elevated, level cat launching field belonging to a cat runway, a ramp having a rough litter-dislodging surface extending downwardly from the cat launching field, and a barrier for barring cats from jumping onto or off the sides of the ramp. The rough litter-dislodging surface is a grating that removes litter from the cat's paws. The litter that is removed falls through the grating to the floor of the runway. Periodically, this litter may be returned to the litter box by manually tilting and shaking the threshold.
However, although the Smith patent discloses a ramp having a litter-dislodging surface, the user must manually tilt and shake the threshold to return the litter to the litter box. Taking time and effort for the user to manually tilt and shake the threshold is inconvenient for the user and may cause soiled cat litter particles to be inadvertently scattered on the floor and other nearby surfaces.
Still another attempt to address the considerations mentioned hereinabove with respect to cat litter boxes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,487,743 B1 titled “Cat Litter Box Apparatus” issued Feb. 10, 2009 in the name of Magnus Lane. This patent relates to a cat litter box apparatus which is covered and has self-cleaning doors for animal entry, along with a supported tilt for semi-automatic litter screening.
According to the Lane patent, the apparatus comprises a parallelepiped box having two opposed sides, a first end, a second end, and a bottom. A transparent lid, which opens pivotally about a hinge, provides an aid in viewing litter and excrement and serves as a guide for a user in determining when to service the apparatus. A cat entrance door is disposed on each of the two sides of the box.
However, although the Lane patent discloses a transparent lid that opens pivotally about a hinge and that is used as an aid in determining when to service the apparatus, the lid itself appears to pivot to the floor rather than avoid pivoting to the floor, thereby increasing the risk that litter particles will be deposited on the floor. Also, the hinges that allow the lid to pivot appear to be located at the rear edge of the apparatus, thereby increasing the risk that the hinges will contact an adjacent wall or furniture and possibly mar the adjacent wall or furniture. Also, additional space is apparently required for the lid to fully pivot to the floor. Providing for such additional space can be problematic where space is limited for deployment of the apparatus. Further, the transparent lid can allow the cat to see the cat owner or care giver when the cat is defecating or urinating in the apparatus and when the cat owner or care giver is nearby. This may increase the likelihood that the cat will become startled or otherwise disturbed by presence of the cat owner or care giver while the cat is defecating or urinating in the cat litter box, and may cause the cat to bolt from the cat litter box and track excrement and urine outside the cat litter box.
Another attempt to address the considerations mentioned hereinabove with respect to cat litter boxes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,462 titled “Animal Litter Container With Litter Scoop” issued Nov. 26, 1996 in the name of Donna J. Korth. This patent relates to containers for the storage and disposal of animal litter waste which include apparatus for separating waste from reusable litter.
According to the Korth patent, the animal litter container includes two shells. The animal litter container also includes means for retaining a deodorizer on the exterior of the shells. The deodorizer retaining means can take the form of a vessel that has venting apertures extending through the sidewalls of the vessel so that the deodorizer's action can be more fully realized.
However, although the Korth patent discloses an animal litter container that includes means for retaining a deodorizer on the shells of the animal litter container, the means for retaining the deodorizer is on an exterior surface of the shells. Retaining the deodorizer on the exterior surface of the shells expands the outside envelope of the animal litter container and may interfere with the cat owner's unobstructed movement about the animal litter container, especially in confined spaces.
Although the approaches recited hereinabove disclose various configurations of cat litter boxes, the approaches recited hereinabove do not appear to disclose the invention described and claimed hereinbelow.